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Trigger Green Lights
Brink » Kip Kay Projects » Episode 104 »

Get a Green Light Every Time

Video: Get Green Lights
Trigger green lights!

What You'll Need:
2 Neodymium magnets - Kips uses magnets that have a pulling force of over 6lbs each
Some heavy duty exterior mounting tape
Optional: A waterproof, rust-proof pill holder

Steps:
Cut off a small strip of tape
Tape the magnets together with one side of the tape
Tape the magnets to your to the underside of scooter or motorcycle with the other side of the tape - perpendicular to the direction of travel.
If you desire, you can put the magnets into a waterproof, rust-proof pill holder and then mount the pill holder to your vehicle.

What the heck is going on here:
At most traffic lights and turn signals, you will notice a loop of wire buried in the pavement of the road near the stop line. This is called an Inductive-loop traffic detector that operates by sensing a change in frequency to the electromagnetic field over the coil of wire. In other words, when a car pulls up, it senses the vehicle and the light changes. Most motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and small cars don't have enough conductive material to trigger these loops and change the traffic light.

Find out more about Inductive loop traffic detectors at How Stuff Works